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Retractable running board

a running board and running board technology, applied in vehicle components, transportation and packaging, step arrangement, etc., can solve the problems of reducing the ground clearance of the vehicle, designers must sacrifice either convenience or ground clearance, and vehicle designers face an additional dilemma

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-01-15
VENTRA GRP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, disposing the running board at such a low position reduces the vehicle's ground clearance.
Consequently, designers must sacrifice either convenience or ground clearance when determining the height of a fixed-position running board.
Vehicle designers face an additional dilemma when determining the lateral position of fixed-position running boards.
Unfortunately, disposing a running board fixed laterally outwardly from the vehicle for the passengers' convenience can tend to increase the vehicle's width.

Method used

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Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0028]As illustrated in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes side doors 10 and a retractable running board assembly, indicated generally at 20. The retractable running board assembly 20 includes three supports 22, 24, 26, each respectively mounted to a frame (not shown) of the vehicle 1. The supports 22, 24, 26 together support a running board 28, that is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being in a step-assist position. That is, in the position shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle operator would generally make use of the running board 28 to climb into the vehicle 1 from a position standing on the ground (not shown). Though this embodiment makes use of three supports 22, 24, 26 for the running board 28, that is not a strict requirement. Fewer or more than three supports could be employed without straying from the principles of the invention. In general, the use of at least two supports provides for improved torque resistance. Furthermore three supports allows for retracting and extending force to be applied a...

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Abstract

A retractable running board assembly is mounted to the frame of a vehicle. The running board is selectively extendable between a retracted position, which is close to the vehicle's frame, a lower, laterally-outward extended position that facilitates easy entrance into and exit from the vehicle and a roof-access position, higher and outward from the entrance position. A selectively-operable driving mechanism actuates a link to extend and retract the running board. When the driving mechanism is not operated, each link resists actuation and holds the running board in a fixed position relative to the frame.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE[0001]This application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 348,389 titled “Retractable Running Board,” filed on Jan. 16, 2002, and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 341,432 titled “Retractable Running Board,” filed on Jan. 14, 2003, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 566,913, filed May 3, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to retractable running boards for vehicles.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Most conventional vehicle running boards have fixed positions relative to the frames of the vehicles to which that they are attached.[0006]Designers of fixed-position running board vehicles must balance ground clearance against the desire to place running boards in a lower, more passenger convenient position midway between ground level and the lower edg...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B60R3/02B60R3/00
CPCB60R3/002B60R3/02
Inventor SCHEURING, III, JOSEPH F.REID, TERRY L.
Owner VENTRA GRP
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